Sampson, V., et. al., (Summer 2010). Generate and Argument: An Instructional Model. The Science Teacher, 77, 32-37.
Summary: According to the National Science Education Standards, students need more opportunities to engage in scientific argumentation and exploration. The authors of this article, Victor Sampson and Jonathan Grooms, developed and instructional model called “Generate an Argument” that can be used in science classrooms from the middle school level to college level. The model focuses on how we know what we do about science and allows students to dissect some of the concepts and theories they learn about in the classroom. An example of a question that the authors provided was, “How many planets are there in the solar system.” Students are forced to use what they know about planet properties and decide whether Pluto should be included in the count or not. The four steps to this model are as follows: 1- Identify the task, problem, question- teachers should hand out a paper containing the introduction, question and directions. It is meant to grab students’ attention and capture their interest. 2- Generate a tentative argument- students can work in groups to collect raw data and scientific theories for support for their argument. 3- Interactive poster- students share their ideas on a poster with the rest of the class. 4- Conclusion- each student individually chooses a side of an argument and defends it in a written paper. Using the Generate an Argument model promotes higher level thinking among students and helps them create a deeper understanding of the subject material they’re learning in class. The writing portion of the model helps students organize their thoughts on paper and make sense of what they’re learning. Reflection: I think this is a great activity to use in a science classroom. I feel like students rarely get a chance to go more in depth with concepts they learn in the classroom. This activity engages students and gives them an opportunity to find a topic that sparks their interest and research it more. It lets students see the process scientists go through to collect data, develop theories, and then share them with colleagues. The fact that students are working in groups and will share their work with the rest of the class will hopefully keep them on task and motivate them to put their best effort in to developing an argument. The model would also strengthen students’ critical thinking skills by forcing them to think outside the lines.
Summary:
According to the National Science Education Standards, students need more opportunities to engage in scientific argumentation and exploration. The authors of this article, Victor Sampson and Jonathan Grooms, developed and instructional model called “Generate an Argument” that can be used in science classrooms from the middle school level to college level. The model focuses on how we know what we do about science and allows students to dissect some of the concepts and theories they learn about in the classroom. An example of a question that the authors provided was, “How many planets are there in the solar system.” Students are forced to use what they know about planet properties and decide whether Pluto should be included in the count or not. The four steps to this model are as follows:
1- Identify the task, problem, question- teachers should hand out a paper containing the introduction, question and directions. It is meant to grab students’ attention and capture their interest.
2- Generate a tentative argument- students can work in groups to collect raw data and scientific theories for support for their argument.
3- Interactive poster- students share their ideas on a poster with the rest of the class.
4- Conclusion- each student individually chooses a side of an argument and defends it in a written paper.
Using the Generate an Argument model promotes higher level thinking among students and helps them create a deeper understanding of the subject material they’re learning in class. The writing portion of the model helps students organize their thoughts on paper and make sense of what they’re learning.
Reflection:
I think this is a great activity to use in a science classroom. I feel like students rarely get a chance to go more in depth with concepts they learn in the classroom. This activity engages students and gives them an opportunity to find a topic that sparks their interest and research it more. It lets students see the process scientists go through to collect data, develop theories, and then share them with colleagues. The fact that students are working in groups and will share their work with the rest of the class will hopefully keep them on task and motivate them to put their best effort in to developing an argument. The model would also strengthen students’ critical thinking skills by forcing them to think outside the lines.